Pubdate: Tue, 15 June 1999 Source: Times Union (NY) Copyright: 1999, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation Contact: Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 Fax: (518) 454-5628 Feedback: http://www.timesunion.com/react/ Website: http://www.timesunion.com/ Forum: http://www.timesunion.com/react/forums/ Author: Lara Jakes, Capitol Bureau CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADERS URGE DRUG LAW REFORM Albany -- In letter to Pataki and Legislature, bishops fault reluctance to change tough Rockefeller laws Representing 5 million New Yorkers, the top leaders of the state's Catholic Church on Monday demanded reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, calling the sentencing mandates "ineffective and unduly restrictive.'' Led by Archbishop John Cardinal O'Connor, the Roman Catholic Bishops of New York criticized the 26-year-old laws for taking sentencing decisions out of the hands of trial judges and mandating prison terms without considering offenders' personal circumstances. The bishops also advocated for more treatment options for nonviolent drug offenders, which they said reduces criminal recidivism. In a two-page letter to Gov. George Pataki and the Legislature, the bishops gently rapped lawmakers for failing to move on Rockefeller reforms in 1999, a non-election year that was widely believed to be the best time for any changes. Bickering between Pataki and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has so far stonewalled reforms. "As moral teachers, we believe the time has come, after a quarter-century of experience, to urge all New Yorkers to advocate for a more humane and effective system to rehabilitate addicts and protect public safety,'' the bishops' letter stated. "We are encouraged that many state leaders have advanced proposals toward this end. We believe reform of these laws can and should be enacted this legislative year.'' The Legislature is scheduled to end its annual six-month session on Wednesday. However, because they have not yet approved a state budget, lawmakers will either extend their session or resume for a special session later this year. Under the Rockefeller Drug Laws, a person with no prior record and no history of violence who is convicted of possessing four ounces or selling two ounces of a narcotic faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life. No other state has such a tough law, nor does the federal government. Joined by an ever-growing group of advocates and jurists, Democrat and Republican lawmakers alike have called this spring for change in the Rockefeller laws. Pataki, who had opposed such reforms in his first term, also put forth a package of crime bills that included a measure to scale back the mandatory minimums for first-time drug transporters, or "mules.'' In exchange, however, the governor is demanding the elimination of parole for all felons -- a policy the Democratic Assembly refuses to consider. So far, Pataki and Silver have not discussed any compromises to bring some level of Rockefeller reforms to fruition this year, and the governor on Monday said he doubted a resolution will be found any time soon. If nothing else, the bishops' letter could bring "added pressure on policymakers in Albany to take significant steps to reform the Rockefeller Drug Laws,'' said Robert Gangi, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck